Top News:
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Facebook launches new Ad Library that now makes all active ads and inactive political ads searchable, opens Ad Library API to all Facebook-verified developers — Now you can search Facebook for how much Trump has spent on ads in the past year, which Pages' ads reference immigration, or what a Page's previous names were.
Discussion:
New York Times, MediaPost, Facebook, Facebook, CNBC, @joshconstine, @facebook, Engadget and Fast Company, more at Techmeme »
Jon Russell / TechCrunch:
Sources: Financial Times' parent company Nikkei will buy one-third of Singapore-based Deal Street Asia in a ~$5M deal that is expected to close in April — Fresh from picking up a majority stake in Europe-based The Next Web, the Financial Times is buying another tech blog.
Alexandra Stevenson / New York Times:
Rappler's Maria Ressa is arrested and posts bail in the Philippines for allegedly violating a law that prohibits majority foreign ownership of a media outlet — Maria Ressa, the co-founder of an online news start-up critical of President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines …
Janko Roettgers / Variety:
Sony Pictures TV sells Crackle to CSS Entertainment, which will launch a joint venture called Crackle Plus; Sony gets stock warrants, contributes backend tech — Sony Pictures Television has found of a new home for its Crackle ad-supported streaming service: The company struck a deal …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, MediaPost, Associated Press, Engadget, @reckless, Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Adweek and Deadline
Jay Rosen / PressThink:
Jay Rosen, who helped The Correspondent in its campaign to fund its English-language expansion, says mistakes were made in communications as plans evolved — A decision not to have its headquarters in New York or the US, and to base the English-language site in Amsterdam, has drawn criticism from supporters.
Discussion:
@tasneemraja, @jbenton, @jbenton, @jayrosen_nyu, @dansinker, @jbenton, @davewiner, @mjenkins, @mjenkins, @mjenkins, @dansinker, @mjenkins, @vivian, @emilybell, @stphnfwlr, @jbenton, @mathewi, @mattbors, @jessicahuseman, @digiphile, @arictoler, @mathewi, @mathewi, @dangillmor, @petersterne, @michellemanafy and Nieman Lab
Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite:
Source: while at the White House, Bill Shine called Fox News control room during an Ivanka Trump interview asking producers to change the chyron; they refused — Bill Shine was accustomed to calling into control rooms at Fox News when he served as co-president of the network.
Discussion:
TVNewser
Emily Bell / Columbia Journalism Review:
It's possible for tech companies to find ways to support independent newsrooms, but direct patronage like Google's for McClatchy is not likely one of those ways — On Tuesday, Google announced it would partner with McClatchy to fund three, new local news entities in communities of less than 500,000 people.
Discussion:
@peterbale, @bmzimmermann, @vwpickard, @steevill, @oliviertesquet, @courtneyr and @mrgrimm
Rita Liao / TechCrunch:
Chinese news aggregator Qutoutiao receives a $171M loan from Alibaba, convertible to shares that represent 4% of the company — The race to give Chinese users their daily dose of news intensifies as Qutoutiao, a rival to TikTok parent Bytedance, net an installment of sizable backing.
Discussion:
Bloomberg and Qutoutiao Inc.
Jeanine Poggi / AdAge India:
A&E Networks unveils P1, a tool that offers audience targeting and metrics reports to small and mid-size clients, to entice them into trying TV advertising — New tool will lower the cost of entry for brands to advertise on its channels — A&E Networks is looking to woo brands …
Maxwell Tani / The Daily Beast:
Staff at Conde Nast's Ars Technica and Pitchfork have unionized under the NewsGuild of New York — Employees told managers Friday they intend to join the NewsGuild, joining a wave of journalists organizing across the industry. — Staff at two more Condé Nast publications announced Friday …
Discussion:
@p4kunion and @ars_union
Charlotte Tobitt / Press Gazette:
Second defamation case against Turkish journalist Pelin Ünker for her work on the Paradise Papers has been dismissed due to the statute of limitations — The only journalist to be prosecuted over the Paradise Papers investigation had a second case against her dismissed today.
Andrew Liptak / The Verge:
MGM's Epix rolls out its Epix Now streaming service to Roku and Amazon Fire TV subscribers for $5.99/month — It has a decent library of shows and films — In February, MGM launched a streaming service for its premium channel Epix called Epix Now for iOS and Android users.
Discussion:
Multichannel News, Pocket-lint, Engadget, MediaPost and Broadcasting & Cable